Novel Fish Communities: Native and Non-Native Species Trends in Two Run-of-the-River Reservoirs, Clark Fork River, Montana

Scarnecchia, Dennis L.; Lim, Youngtaik; Moran, Sean; Tholl, Timothy D.; Santos, Joseph M. Dos; Breidinger, Kenneth

doi:10.1080/10641262.2013.838937

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Migratory trouts are born in these same headwater streams (Johnson et al 2010) but out-migrate to larger bodies of water to rear before returning to natal tributaries to spawn as adults (Ardren and Bernall 2017). Dams impede the return of migratory WCT to spawning tributaries (Scarnecchia et al 2014;Corsi et al 2022), essentially removing this life history form from some populations (Fausch et al 2006). The lack of reproductive contribution from migratory females, which are often the largest and most fecund individuals in the population (Shepard et al 1997), can greatly reduce population productivity (Huntsman et al 2016;Ardren and Bernall 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Population assignment of migratory Westslope Cutthroat Trout (WCT) in the Clark Fork–Pend Oreille River basin

Wells,

Connor,

Small

et al. 2024

Trans Am Fish Soc

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ObjectiveThe Clark Fork–Pend Oreille River basin of northeastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle historically supported a robust metapopulation of the Westslope Cutthroat Trout (WCT) Oncorhynchus lewisi, a western native salmonid of high cultural and economic value. The construction of impassible hydroelectric dams and smaller instream barriers has prevented the return of migratory WCT to spawning tributaries, leading to the fragmentation of this metapopulation over the past 100 years. One such impassible barrier is Albeni Falls Dam (AFD) near Newport, Washington, which was completed without fish passage capabilities in 1955. We sought to examine large‐scale genetic patterns in the study area and determine the most likely spawning tributary of origin for migratory WCT captured below AFD.MethodsWe created a genetic baseline representative of populations within the Clark Fork–Pend Oreille River basin from upstream and downstream of the dam using 191 biallelic single‐nucleotide polymorphism genetic markers. Our data set included 124 collections, which allowed for an examination of population structure and hatchery influence across the study area and provided a robust tool for population assignment. Population assignment tests were conducted using the program RUBIAS.ResultPopulation assignment tests were successful for all pure WCT of unknown origin despite potential influence from hatchery lineages across the study area. Of 83 migratory WCT captured below AFD, approximately 80% were assigned to tributaries upstream of AFD with a posterior assignment probability of at least 90%. Only one fish was assigned to a tributary downstream of AFD.ConclusionOur results indicate that AFD disrupts the natural metapopulation dynamics of WCT populations in the basin. Passage for WCT at this barrier would reestablish metapopulation connectivity within the basin by allowing migratory individuals to make genetic contributions to populations upstream of the dam.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dams impede the return of migratory WCT to spawning tributaries (Scarnecchia et al. 2014; Corsi et al. 2022), essentially removing this life history form from some populations (Fausch et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population assignment of migratory Westslope Cutthroat Trout (WCT) in the Clark Fork–Pend Oreille River basin

Wells,

Connor,

Small

et al. 2024

Trans Am Fish Soc

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Food habits of nonnative Walleyes in Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho

Frawley,

Corsi,

Dux

et al. 2024

N American J Fish Manag

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ObjectiveWalleye Sander vitreus is an important species that has been widely introduced outside of its native distribution. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of an established Walleye population in the Lake Pend Oreille (LPO) system, Idaho.MethodsFood habits of Walleyes were described using stomach contents and stable isotopes (δ15N, δ13C). Trophic structure of the LPO system's food web was identified using stable isotopes. Annual consumption by Walleyes of important prey items was estimated using a bioenergetics model.ResultWalleyes consumed a diversity of prey items, including macroinvertebrates and fishes. Kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka, the most frequently consumed prey item, occurred in 23% of all Walleye diets. Combined, native cyprinids and catostomids occurred in 31% of all Walleye stomachs. Select taxa (e.g., native cyprinids, kokanee) were consistently consumed by Walleyes across seasons, regions, and cohorts, whereas other taxa (e.g., Westslope Cutthroat Trout O. lewisi, Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu) were consumed inconsistently. Stable isotope analysis suggested that Walleyes occupied similar trophic positions as other top‐level piscivores in the system. As Walleye age increased, δ15N increased and δ13C decreased, indicating increased consumption of pelagic prey resources and prey at higher trophic positions. The estimated biomass of kokanee consumed annually by Walleyes was 27,121 kg (95% confidence interval = 9178–61,603). Comparatively, native cyprinids represented about 46% of the total biomass of kokanee consumed by Walleyes, whereas native catostomids represented about 11% and native salmonids represented about 15% of the total biomass of kokanee consumed by Walleyes.ConclusionThis study revealed that Walleyes consumed various fishes across the LPO system. Although kokanee were the most frequently consumed prey item, native cyprinids and catostomids (combined) occurred at similar proportions. This study contributes to our growing knowledge of the effects of nonnative Walleyes on important salmonids and native fishes in western systems.

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Consequences of Actively Managing a Small Bull Trout Population in a Fragmented Landscape

Al‐Chokhachy

Moran²,

McHugh³

et al. 2015

Trans Am Fish Soc

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Habitat fragmentation, which affects many native salmonid species, is one of the major factors contributing to the declines in distribution and abundance of Bull Trout Salvelinus confluentus. Increasingly, managers are considering options to maintain and enhance the persistence of isolated local populations through active management strategies. Understanding the ecological consequences of such actions is a necessary step in conservation planning. We used an individual‐based model to evaluate the consequences of an ongoing management program aimed at mitigating the anthropogenic fragmentation of the lower Clark Fork River in Montana. Under this program juvenile Bull Trout are trapped and transported from small, headwater source populations to Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho, for rearing, and adults are subsequently recaptured in their upstream migration and returned to the natal population for spawning. We examined one of these populations and integrated empirical estimates of demographic parameters to simulate different management scenarios where moderate (n = 4) and high (n = 8) numbers of age‐2, age‐3, or age‐4 Bull Trout were removed for transport with variable return rates under both demographic stochasticity and environmental perturbations. Our results indicated the risks from removal with no returns increased substantially when removal totals and age of Bull Trout removed from the simulated population increased. Specifically, removing eight age‐3 or age‐4 individuals resulted in 26% and 62% reductions in average adult population size, respectively, across simulations. We found the risks of transport were not likely alleviated with low (3%) or moderate (6%) return rates, and there were considerable risks of declines for the source population even when return rates were extremely high (>12%). Our simulations indicated little risk of declines for the source population with removals of age‐2 Bull Trout, and any risks were alleviated with low return rates. However, we found higher return rates were particularly beneficial in the presence of large, density‐independent perturbations.

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Novel Fish Communities: Native and Non-Native Species Trends in Two Run-of-the-River Reservoirs, Clark Fork River, Montana

Cited by 4 publications

References 31 publications

Population assignment of migratory Westslope Cutthroat Trout (WCT) in the Clark Fork–Pend Oreille River basin

Population assignment of migratory Westslope Cutthroat Trout (WCT) in the Clark Fork–Pend Oreille River basin

Food habits of nonnative Walleyes in Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho

Consequences of Actively Managing a Small Bull Trout Population in a Fragmented Landscape

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